


Sick as a Dogsbody

by Yoshi_G_teh_First



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Influenza, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28870542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoshi_G_teh_First/pseuds/Yoshi_G_teh_First
Summary: Katrielle has always relied on her assistant for virtually everything! Now that he's sick, the roles have been reversed.New chapters will be posted on Tuesdays. Takes place prior to the Relic Stones saga.ETA: This fic is (along with TTS bonus chapters) on indefinite hiatus.
Relationships: Ernest Greeves & Katrielle Layton, Ernest Greeves/Katrielle Layton
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. Sick and Tired

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! It's Yoshi with a new story. Now it's been awhile since I last wrote a sickfic, but I don't think I've lost my touch. (If I have at all, feel free to critique me!)
> 
> One other thing, before we start, I have my upload schedule sorted out. 
> 
> So, this story will updated on Tuesdays, while TTS bonus chapters will be uploaded every two weeks on Mondays. Any fic after this one will updated on other day of the week, except for those already listed. 
> 
> Hopefully that's not too confusing! XD And enjoy the story! c:

Chapter One: Sick and Tired

Ernest rubbed his weary eyes with the back of his hand before glancing at the small clock radio.

2:18 A.M., it read.

He knew he needed to sleep, but between homework that was due in less than two days, and his part time job at the detective agency (which no doubt meant doing everything except for the actual mystery solving), he wasn't going to go to bed anytime soon, no matter how much he wanted to. He leaned his head onto his free hand, while trying to read the relevant pages in his textbook.

"Graft chimeras are produced by grafting genetically different parents, different cultivars, or different species. The tissue may be partially fused together..."

He paused long enough to acknowledge his irritated throat, messaging it with his fingertips. It soon became enough of a distraction, that he was forced to take a short break from studying. He got up from his seat, tiredly striding to the medicine chest, where he popped one throat drop into his mouth, and brought back three more back with him to the desk.

"I can't afford to be ill now." He spoke to himself, as he sat back down. "Now then, where was I?"

* * *

He didn't remember closing his eyes, or deciding his textbook made for a suitable pillow substitute, but at some point during the night, Ernest had fallen asleep at his desk. He jolted upright as soon as he opened his eyes, but quickly discovered he was somehow even more exhausted than before. His throat was now sore, instead of just irritated, and he ached all over; plus he wasn't sure if it was him, or if the radiator went out during the night, but the air around him was quite chilly! Wondering if he had overslept, he picked up the clock radio to check the time...

5:32 A.M.

Just over three hours of sleep. Despite the discomfort he was experiencing, he rejected the idea of actually going to bed, knowing that if he did, there was a fair chance he really would end up oversleeping. Reluctantly, he chose to go ahead and get today over with, changing out of his bedclothes and into one of his usual outfits, in spite of every fibre of his being begging him to remain comfortable and get under the covers.

He arrived at the detective agency shortly after, where he went straight to work tidying the place up. Since it was the weekend, he didn't have class that day, though that didn't guarantee a slow day, unfortunately. He would be grateful, if this was all he had to do today, but knowing his luck...

The teen managed to keep quiet during his chores in order to avoid waking Sherl the dog, who was still sleeping soundly in his basket bed. Ernest had reminded himself to fill the basset hound's food bowl before he awoke, which ended up being sooner than anticipated, as some flyaway dust tickled his nose, that in spite of his efforts to hold back, prompted a very loud sneeze against his will.

"WHAT IN THE-" Sherl exclaimed, as he jolted awake and nearly jumped up onto his hind legs. He tumbled out of his basket before standing back up on all fours. "A little louder next time, Pinstripes! My heart's still beating."

"Sorry, Sherl." Ernest said to him, following a sniffle. He cringed on the inside when he heard his own voice; he had barely spoken since the day before, yet his voice was already getting raspy. He hoped it would go unnoticed, but even if it didn't, that alone was good enough of a reason to change the subject. "Are you hungry at all?"

"I haven't eaten since yesterday evening. What do you think?" Sherl rhetorically asked.

The teen hopped off of the step-stool he was standing on to dust, following Sherl to the small kitchenette in the back, where the basset hound's food was stored away. As Ernest mixed both wet and dry food into the dog bowl, his throat suddenly started to tickle, and it took every ounce of his self control for him to stifle the oncoming coughs.

It wasn't until after he set the food bowl onto the floor that he finally excused himself and hurried back to the main room, where he allowed himself to let out the coughs that had been straining his throat. The crook of his sleeve was lightly damp by the time he was able to come up for air.

Meanwhile, Sherl had stopped eating long enough to peer over at the teenaged human, concerned. He noticed something was wrong, but decided it may not be worth asking yet, if he knew humans well enough by then, and went back to his food bowl.

It wasn't until he found himself too tired to budge an inch, that Ernest questioned whether he was going to be able to get through the day or not. He had thought about squeezing in a short nap after taking Sherl on his walk; after all, he figured, Miss Layton wouldn't be arriving for a few more hours, and he had already taken care of most of that morning's to-do's, so he certainly could if he wanted to!

* * *

He awoke to the door opening, and quickly sat up in spite of the subsequent -though brief- dizziness that followed. When he glanced over again, his suspicions of who had just entered were confirmed; he watched as the ever-attractive Miss Layton admired his hard work.

"You're...Already done?" She asked him, surprised.

Ernest cleared his throat before answering.

"Yes. Well, um...I was able to get a head start today."

But just as he was about to get any amount of acknowledgement for it, the phone began ringing.

"Oh, Ernest, could you get that?" Katrielle requested.

"Why can't you get it? You're closer to it than he is!" Sherl called her out.

Reluctantly, to the surprise of both assistant and dog, she answered the phone, but not without mumbling a distinct and annoyed 'fine'.

Meanwhile, Ernest was simply relieved nobody else had to hear just how hoarse he was getting. At the same time, he knew this meant it was going to be a long day, after all.

* * *

It wasn't that he didn't want to be there for Miss Layton and help her out any way he could, but he really did not want to be at this hotel. The lack of any proper amount of sleep was starting to catch up to him now, and his body ached with each step he took. He knew it wouldn't take much for him to really fall apart, and if that had to happen, he would rather not be out in public for it.

Ernest could only wonder how he didn't at least think to bring some aspirin or an antihistamine, unlike previous times where he would find himself taking one while Miss Layton wasn't looking; and his symptoms were worse compared to those previous times! He wanted so badly to sit down, if only for a minute or two, but at the moment, he was still assisting Miss Layton with yet another mystery. So, he had no choice, but to hide his symptoms a little longer, and hope that she could solve this (even he had to admit) ludicrous case sooner than later!

While Katrielle observed a suspicious trail of paint on the wall with her magnifying lens, Ernest stood nearby; he was supposed to be taking notes, but instead found himself gradually staring off into space, while struggling to stifle his coughs, and occasionally rubbing the side of his head as a dull ache crept up around there. He hadn't even noticed right away that a hand was waving in front of his face.

"Ernest, hello?" Katrielle said gently to get his attention. "Are you listening at all?"

That snapped him back to reality.

"Y-yes, of course, Miss!" He stuttered, immediately cringing at hearing his own voice.

She didn't seem to buy it, if that skeptical look on her face was anything to go on.

"I had asked what you thought of the clues so far." She stated, then paused long enough to observe her assistant, who seemed somewhat unwell; his face was rather flushed, especially for him, and the dark circles under his eyes really did not become him, either! "Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself today."

"O-oh, of course. Yes, I'm...I'm fine. Thank you." He stammered out.

That look of skepticism hadn't gone away.

"...Alright." Katrielle shrugged, as she went back to the mystery at hand. "I think we'll need to find that receptionist again, and ask her a few more questions."

Ernest only nodded in agreement, as he then followed behind her. Before they could even reach the reception desk, however, he began to feel rather dizzy. Things that were usually stationary shifted from side to side and up and down. And what were those dots floating about? He swallowed hard, seriously wishing he had at least remembered to take a motion sickness pill. He thought he had heard someone speaking, but wasn't sure who it was, or if he was simply hearing things. His knees grew weaker by the second, and very quickly he found himself on all fours, his nausea worsening, as he struggled to recall whether he had eaten at all so far today.

"...at me." He heard Miss Layton speaking from what he could have sworn was across the room. Each time she spoke again, she sounded closer until he realized she had been in front of him the whole time.

"Ernest, look at me." She repeated, as she lifted his head so that they were facing each other. "Are you alright? Did you trip?"

He had to swallow hard again before he could answer, which didn't go unnoticed by Miss Layton, as she placed her free hand on his forehead, which only then did he realize was slightly damp from sweat.

"...You're hot." She bluntly stated.

"I-I beg your-" he stammered, flustered.

"You have a fever." She clarified, then gently pulled him up with both arms to stand, leading him to one of the many sitting areas, where he wouldn't be disturbed. "Here, try to rest, and I'll come fetch you once I've solved this mystery."

He did exactly what she told him, lying down on the loveseat, and made an attempt to rest. He sighed as he closed his eyes, but opened them again from a combination of both his symptoms not allowing him to rest, and the fact he couldn't be of much help to the lovely Miss Layton.

"And here I thought she'd make you work your tail off 'til you blacked out!" A remark from Sherl came from the floor next to him.

"You mean..." A cough interrupted him. "You mean you knew all along, Sherl?" Ernest asked, turning to face the canine companion.

"You've been more than a little obvious, Pinstripes." Sherl explained.

Ernest only gave a small smile before trying to reach for the basset hound, only to retract his arm for an oncoming sneeze, followed by a short coughing fit. He already hated being sick.


	2. Nurse Katrielle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why, yes. It is after 5:00 in the morning on the 26th of January as I am posting this! But let's just put it this way: if I decided to post later, it would have been the only thing on my mind until then. 
> 
> I will try to do better on this front, but until then: Enjoy! c:

Chapter Two: Nurse Katrielle

The thermometer placed under Ernest's tongue beeped off as it finished reading, and was taken out of his mouth by Katrielle, who blinked in surprise when she read the result on the tiny screen.

"What does it say?" Ernest asked hoarsely.

"Forty degrees." She bluntly answered. "It must be because you were walking around."

He wanted to say something in response, but his throat just wasn't going to let him. The most he could do was rub at the front of his neck. Since he was still exhausted, and obviously not going anywhere else today, he decided it was time to crawl under the covers and try to get some sleep, but forced himself to stay up long enough to change into his bedclothes, which consisted of a loose fitting short sleeved t-shirt and some flannel pj bottoms.

Meanwhile, Katrielle had gone back downstairs to make a phone call to her family's physician. She knew that he was one of the few remaining doctors that still took house calls, and hopefully he would come look at someone who wasn't a regular patient of his.

"That's right." She spoke with him. "A high fever, and a cough."

She had to spare the details about how Ernest looked as though he was about to cry when she heard a _**thunk**_ coming from upstairs. After giving a quick 'see you then', she hung up and hurried back upstairs, where upon entering the bedroom, she discovered Ernest on the floor, struggling to push himself up to stand.

"Ernest!" She shouted, rushing over to her ailing assistant. "What happened?"

"I...I was o-only trying to.." he paused, struggling not to stumble over his words.

Katrielle glanced over to see his pj bottoms were barely past his ankles. She deduced that he stumbled when he was trying to change into his pajamas.

"Here. Put your arms at my shoulders." She told him.

He didn't quite understand why she said this at first, but went along with it, anyway. He put his arms around her shoulders, and she immediately pulled him up, having him sit at the edge of the bed while she helped him get his pj bottoms on up to his lower thighs. Then she hoisted him to stand, pulling the pants up the rest of the way.

"There we go." She said, as she helped him get into bed.

He was greatly tempted to ask her where she learned to do that, but when he was told of his appointment in about half an hour, he knew his questions would have to wait until another time.

* * *

"Hmm..." the doctor was just wrapping up the physical exam. "Well, the good news is nothing's swollen."

 _That's a relief!_ Ernest thought to himself while readjusting his t-shirt.

"And the bad news?" Katrielle inquired, knowing there had to been a catch.

"Well, Kat, the bad news is the flu's been going around, and your friend has it full on." The doctor elaborated. "Now then, Ernest, based on the severity of your symptoms, I'll be prescribing you an antiviral. Aside from that, your usual choice of pain reliever should also help."

"And how soon will he be over this flu?" Asked Kat. "Two days? Three days?"

"With the antiviral, we are looking at about a week." the doctor said, as he finished getting his medical supplies together in his doctor's bag. "Aside from that, make sure he gets plenty of rest and fluids. If he isn't any better by this time next week, call me for a follow-up appointment."

After he said this, Katrielle escorted him to the door, leaving Ernest to lay back down to rest some more. Despite what the doctor said, the sick teen couldn't be entirely bothered by the fact he would be missing his classes through the next week; perhaps he was just tired from his ailment, he figured, as he nestled a bit further under the duvet, and his eyes slid shut once it was nice and dark.

* * *

"Thank you very much!" Katrielle called on her way out of the pharmacy after picking up Ernest's antiviral prescription, along with a few other things. Hopping on her bike, with the shopping bag in the basket, she peddled back to the detective agency.

Upon returning, she first stopped at the kitchenette in the back to pour a glass of water for her would-be patient, at the realization he was probably dehydrated still. With the glass in one hand, and the bag in the other, she headed upstairs where she discovered a lump under the duvet in place of where Ernest should have been. Curious, Katrielle set the bag and glass on the bedside table, and reached over to gently shake the lump.

Whatever was under the duvet responded with a soft groan.

Kat then pulled the bedcovers back just enough to reveal the feverish Ernest with his eyes squeezed shut, and a few locks of hair on his forehead. Almost reluctantly, he opened his eyes, smiling softly when he saw her.

"I picked up your medicine. You'll need to take the first dose right away." She said to him.

He slowly nodded and even more slowly pushed himself to sit up, letting out a few short dry coughs, as Katrielle gave him a pill from the prescription bottle, followed by the water. He popped the pill into his mouth, then practically downed the whole glass within a few seconds; neither of them should have been surprised, yet here they were, both looking on at the now empty glass.

"I'll refill that for you, if you'd like." Kat held out her hand so she could take the glass.

"I...Would appreciate it." Ernest said. "Thank you."

Back downstairs, Sherl walked in from the detective agency's office to the kitchenette when he heard water running for the second time that day, where he saw Kat at the sink filling a glass. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed her up the stairs, to the bedroom where Pinstripes lay sound asleep with his back facing them, and the duvet covering him up to his chest. Much to the basset hound's surprise, Kat didn't try to wake the sick teen up, but instead set the glass on the bedside table.

"You aren't even going to try to wake him?" Sherl asked, and received a soft 'shh!' in response.

He sat and watched as Kat walked to the bathroom sink, where she soaked a washcloth under cold water, then wrung it out enough times so that it was just damp. She then stride back to the bed, placing the folded damp cloth on her sleeping assistant's forehead.

Kat then motioned to Sherl, conveying that they should leave the room. After turning out the light, and closing the door, they head back downstairs, where Sherl's curiosity about Kat's demeanor grew even more.

"You're being surprisingly attentive!" He remarked once they were back in the office.

"What did you really expect of me, Sherl?" Kat asked him, sounding rather slightly offended. "I'll have you know, this isn't the first time I've had to play caregiver."

"Oh, I...I didn't know." The basset hound blinked, taken aback.

"Besides that," Katrielle added. "Ernest is only going to be out for a week. I was doing fine on my own before he came along, I'm sure I can handle one week of cases."

"If you say so." Sherl said to her, not even trying to hide his skepticism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's chapter two!
> 
> I'm sure we all know that that influenza -or the flu, rather- is a far more miserable (and far more serious in high-risk groups) experience than a common cold. Symptoms often include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and cough. 
> 
> There is a vaccine; however, not only do not enough people receive one, new strains pop up all the time, which is why an annual vaccination is recommended by doctors and pharmacists alike. There are also a number of medications to shorten symptoms by attacking the viruses in one's body; much like the vaccine, of course, new meds must be released and old ones discontinued from time to time in order to better fight against new strains.
> 
> With all that out of the way, I will see you all again next week! Until then, reviews are always welcome! c:


	3. Moment of Rest

Chapter Three: Moment of Rest

In between check-ins from his impromptu caregiver, the room was dimly lit, with the only source of light coming from the gap in between the curtain drawn windows, and what few sounds there were being Ernest's congested breathing, the humidifier humming as steam misted from its spout, and the occasional rustling of the sheets whenever the sick teen tossed and turned. As far as he knew, the past few days had been quite uneventful. Little did he realize just how blissfully unaware he really was.

He heard the office door slam shut, followed by Miss Layton giving an exhausted sigh. As tempting as it was to get up out of bed to go see what was wrong, fatigue -among his other symptoms- had other plans, and he struggled not to head back to dreamland so soon.

Back downstairs, Katrielle leaned on the door as soon as she made it inside the detective agency, letting out an exhausted sigh as she slid to the floor. She would have stayed there awhile, too, only to remember that she still needed to lock the door and draw the curtains; while she certainly enjoyed her job, there was no way she could handle a third case in one day!

 _I had forgotten how hard this job is without an assistant._ She thought as she sank into her usual chair. She checked her watch shortly after, and sat upright when she looked at the time.

"Have I been out that long?" She asked, mostly to herself.

The antivirals Ernest been prescribed had to be two pills taken every six hours, making for four times a day. And while Katrielle had been punctual about it, today, she had let time get ahead of her, and the six hour mark was coming up shortly. As she was rounding to the back of the agency to head upstairs, however, there her would-be patient was, carefully staggering down the stairs, hands firmly clutching the railing.

"Ernest! What are you doing up?" Katrielle asked, surprised.

"I was feeling a bit restless." The sick teen explained, one hand letting go of the railing when he felt his nose start to run again. He had put the cuff of his sweatshirt sleeve to his face briefly. "So I thought..."

Before he could finish, he briefly stumbled, but managed to regain his footing, thanks in part to Miss Layton.

"Come on, let's go sit down." She said, as she helped him to the sofa in the office.

"Wh-Pinstripes? You're actually up for once?" Sherl remarked.

"Yes. But I'm not at a hundred percent still." Ernest said to the basset hound.

"Not even close." Kat added. "I'm going to go put the kettle on."

"Is there any way I could help, miss?" Ernest asked her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." She confirmed. "You can help by staying put."

"Fair enough." He gave her a short nod.

She returned about 10 minutes later carrying a tray with two cups of tea, and a plate of saline crackers, which usually he didn't particularly care for, but after eating nothing but toast or broth the past few days, it was certainly a welcome change of pace. He ate a few of the saltines while he listened to Miss Layton talk about the two cases she had taken on earlier that day; he didn't even see the part about the two cases being connected coming!

As she went on about the mishap (as she worded it) she and a friend of hers he didn't know had experienced the day before, Ernest carefully picked up his cup to take a sip of tea. He instantly recognized the soft floral taste, with a hint of fresh red apple, as chamomile tea. It seemed that he wasn't the only one of the pair that could brew a great cup! Perhaps she did even better than he could, he thought, as he treated himself to another sip. He could have sworn each sip soothed his throat, and settled his stomach.

After a few more sips, his cup was empty, though by then he couldn't be bothered with seconds. There were some things he had wished to discuss with her, but whether it was due to his illness or the tea, he was beginning to feel quite drowsy again. He didn't wish to come off as impolite, however, and slowly began preparing to excuse himself to go back to bed. Of course, at the same time, he was beginning to feel dizzy, and so decided to stick around. Naturally, his demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Miss Layton.

"Are you getting tired?" She asked him.

He was probably better off just nodding in response, what with how raspy his voice was still. Yet, he decided to answer her verbally, anyway.

"A little." Was all he could muster.

"One moment." Kat said, as she stood and left the room, returning seconds later with a blanket that she unfolded and draped across his legs, which were already drawn to his chest.

It didn't take long for Ernest to fall asleep after that; Sherl agreed to a short cuddle, but not before making Pinstripes promise not to cough on him. This left Katrielle seriously thinking about what to do next...

There were only so many things, she pondered, that she could do within the little office that wouldn't wake her assistant; and she had no intention of going back out again. Later in the evening, perhaps, when things in the outside world began winding down, but until then...

Then, oddly enough, she thought about the things she had been putting off previously, such as the ever-growing stack of paperwork on her desk, or replacing the bedding Ernest slept on the past few days (she _really_ didn't look forward to that!).

Yes, she decided, there were many things right there at the agency she could do. And no better time like the present to get them done!

**Author's Note:**

> And there's the first chapter! How did poor Ernest catch this bug? Find out next week in Chapter Two!
> 
> Until then...Reviews are always welcome! c:


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